PRODUCTIVITY DURING LOCKDOWN?

A topic everyone is talking about right now. Understandably so, and I feel like putting my two cents in. I have been working from home for 5 weeks now and have had 2 weeks Easter holidays thrown in and it has been weird. As a primary school teacher, my days are usually filled with 20+ children telling me stories and asking me questions and smiling and playing. It has felt so lonely without the pupils I teach. It has felt so lonely without my colleagues, always up for a chat and a laugh. I’m fortunate to live with my mum and dad still but I really feel for those living alone. We’re lucky to live during a time where phone calls and video chats are a thing.

Social media is wonderful at keeping us connected but it can also be damaging and anxiety provoking for a lot of people. In my post about diet shaming, I mentioned I am a lot better at unfollowing accounts that negatively impact me in any way. I’m currently at a point of doing this based on just one post. I’m not giving people an opportunity to reoffend.

There seems to be two camps on social media right now… Those posting obsessively about diet and exercise and being productive 24/7, and those posting about the importance of wellbeing and looking after yourself and cutting yourself some slack. I am coming to you from the latter camp. Why are people so intent on putting additional pressure on themselves during an already stressful and pressure filled time? I am not by any stretch of the imagination advocating that you should lie in bed all day everyday and wallow in the situation. But, it’s okay to not feel at your most productive. Personally, I need different environments to feel ‘in the zone’, when I walk into my classroom I am ‘Miss Mellis’, and I am ready to teach. When I walk into the gym, I am ready (most of the time) to get sweaty and release those endorphins. It’s not the same when your home and chill space suddenly becomes your office and gym and who knows what else. It is going to take time to adjust and for a lot of us, it’s never going to be perfect. And that is okay.

Okay so, we all know we’ll feel better, physically and mentally, if we do something but again, you shouldn’t feel pressure to do anything. I am being, somewhat, productive sometimes. I have decluttered my room, have been hitting a step goal some days, cooking properly and trying new meals. This is what works for ME. But I cannot stress enough how different everyone is and you need to find what is going to work for YOU.Have I watched a fair bit of Disney+? Obviously. Have I eaten chocolate? Definitely. Have I stayed in pyjamas until 5pm? Of course. Not everyday is going to be amazing and any negativities are definitely amplified during lockdown.

Okay… I’m rambling now. But I want to get my point across and I hope with my rambling I have. Let me know how you’re keeping sane during lockdown!